Attack the Key to Rangers’ Success
- Rangers celebrate yet another trophy.
Sunday’s CIS Cup Final between Celtic and Rangers was never going to decide the destination of the SPL title, but it has told us that we are in for one hell of a battle between now and the end of May.
Before the match most commentators had already wrote Rangers off. Injury ravaged and finished was a common theme amongst the red tops. Weir is too slow, Edu is like a man down and Smith’s negative approach has sapped out any confidence his troops once had.
How wrong they were.
Rangers looked quicker, fitter and more determined than their great rivals, which surprised even the most optimistic of the Ibrox club’s manic support base.
Thursday’s exit in the Europa League to PSV Eindhoven may be, to descend into cliché mode, the blessing in disguise they needed. Not only does it allow the champions to wholly concentrate on domestic matters, but the second half performance, despite failing to score, gave everyone at the club the belief that exciting, positive football is their best chance of success this season.
This new wave of optimism was brought onto the field at Hampden Park on Sunday, giving The Gers a 2-1 despite playing with a makeshift defence.
Steven Davis probably played his best game all season. In actual fact, the only performance which could come close was the second half on Thursday. Maurice Edu was anonymous as usual, but Davis still managed to win the midfield battle with his guile and pace, despite being up against Kayal and Ledley. If the Ulsterman can perform to such high standards for the rest of the season, then he could well play the protagonist role in the title chase.
Nikica Jelavic is another one who will surely have a massive say on this year’s finale. He bullied and bossed Celtic’s centre back paring of Thomas Rogne and Charlie Mulgrew, and was rewarded with his somewhat fortuitous winning goal. The Croat clearly has the touch and ability to add to his 11 goals already this season. A fully fit Jelavic will do some damage to SPL defences.
Although the two aforementioned drew most of the headlines, the likes of Steven Whittaker, Davie Weir and Gregg Wylde all played important parts in securing Walter Smith’s 20th trophy in his two spells as Rangers manager.
Momentum and confidence are everything in sport when the difference in quality is miniscule. Rangers now have it after losing their way in recent months. It is, however, too early to say the pendulum has swung back to the southside of the city, just as it was naïve to declare Celtic treble winners a few weeks ago before they had even won a trophy.
There is obviously a lot of tough matches and many nervy moments on the horizon, but in Smith Rangers have the experience and the nohow when it comes to winning championships. Most of his players know what is expected of them, having proven it over the last two or three years, and which is something Neil Lennon must try to transmit to his young but ambitious squad.
Another matter of significance is they now have as many games to play as Celtic, excluding a potential Scottish Cup Final for the latter. And because of the International break, with injuries to many in the squad (Ness, Bougherra, Weiss, Davis and Naismith to name a few), it allows them time to recover in what will surely be a punishing but intriguing April.
The final Old Firm fixture at Ibrox, whenever it is played, will be vital. A win for either side and they are massive favourites to secure the title. However, if Rangers play the same positive approach they adopted on Sunday, their once seen diminishing chances will increase tenfold.
When the sunset over Mount Florida on Sunday night, the big prize was still up for grabs, but what it has done is make us all think twice.
Never write off The Rangers.
